The Italian billionaire’s pregnant bride to be
by aussi-girl-bella
Summary: b&e Bella waitresses by day and cleans by night, trying to escape the wrongs of her past. She’s not remotely in the same class as impossibly rich, ruthless, and handsome Edward Cullen. And then one night at his London officers Edward notice’s Bella and t
1. Porlogue

**Prologue **

Bella waitresses by day and cleans by night, trying to escape the wrongs of her past. She's not remotely in the same class as impossibly rich, ruthless, and handsome Edward Cullen. And then one night at his London officers Edward notice's Bella's shapely form beneath her dowdy overalls and takes her virginity. Bella thinks that will be the end of it – until she discovers she's pregnant with the Italian billionaire's baby.

Edward finds out about the secret that darkens Bella's background. He doesn't believe her when she say's she's innocent, but her is prepared to overlook what he thinks is her guilt – he may not love her, but he will marry her and be a father to his child.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

Edward Cullen walked in to the palazzo Azzarini for the first time in ten years. A magnificent mansion in the Tuscan hills, the palazzo was as famous for its grand Palladian architecture as for its legendary Azzarini wine label, which had spawned a massive empire with vineyards all over the world. Sadly recent financial reverses had taken their toll: the breath taking collection of tresures that had once filled the halls was gone and the grandeur had become shabby. But it belonged to Edward now. All of it. Every stone, every inch of rich productive earth, and he was rich enough to turn the clock backwards and remedy the neglect.

He had regained his birth right; it should have been a moment of supreme triumph. Yet Edward felt nothing. He had stopped feeling a long time ago. At first it had been a defense mechanism but it had soon become an ingrained habit he nourished. He liked the clean, efficient structure of his existence. He did not suffer from emotional highs and lows. When he wanted something more, when he felt the need for a certain buzz to bring him alive, he got it out of sex or physical challenge. He had climbed sheer rock faces in blizzards, trekked through jungles in appalling conditions and engaged in extreme sports. He had not found a fear. But he had not found anything he really cared about, either, he acknowledged grimly.

Edward strolled through the echoing empty entrance hall at au unhurried pace. Once the palazzo had been a happy place and he had been a loving son, who took family affection, wealth, and security for granted. But the fond memories had long since been wiped out by the nightmare that had followed. He now knew more then he ever wanted to know about the depths of human greed. His strong, handsome features set in forbidding lines; he strolled out onto the rear terrace, which over looked the gardens. The sound of foot steps turned his head. A woman was walking towards him.

Platinum blond hair rippled back from Tanya's perfect face. The white slip dress clinging to her pouting nipples and out lining the mound at the junction of her thighs left little to the imagination: she was naked underneath the silk. Tanya had always known what appealed most to a man and it wasn't conversation. He got the message: it was basic and it was instant. 'Don't through me out.' her languorous turquoise eyes proffered an invitation that both teased and begged. 'There's nothing I won't do for a second chance with you.'

Edward raised a derisive ebony brow. 'I don't do second chances.'

'Even if this time I offer you a free trial? No strings attached? I can say sorry with style.' With a provocative look, Tanya folded fluidly down on her knees in front of him and reached for the clasp of his belt.

For a split second Edward was taut and then he vented an appreciative laugh. A consummate survivor, Tanya had the morals of a whore but at least she was honest about it. To the winner went the spoils. And without a doubt she was a prize many men would kill to possess, for she was beautiful, sexually adventurous and an aristocrat born and bred he knew exactly what Tanya was, and once she had been his. A heart-beat later, however when his bright prospects were destroyed, she was his brother's. Love on a budget had zero appeal to Tanya: she went where the money was. And time had wrought dramatic changes, since Edward was now a billionaire and the Azzarini vineyards were just one small part of his enterprises.

'You're my brother's wife,' he reminded her softly, angling his lean hips back at lounge indolently against the wall a tantalizing few inches out of the reach, 'and I don't do adultery, _Cara mia' _His mobile phone rang. 'Excuse me.' He murmured with perfect cool and he walked back indoors, just leaving her kneeling in sensual subservience on the tiles of the terrace.

The call was from his security chief Jacob Black, in London. Edward suppressed a sigh. Once a senior police officer, the older man took his job seriously. Edward had a valuable chess set on display in his London office and, a few weeks ago, he'd been startled to see that someone, in blatant disregard of the 'do not touch' notice the most recent chess puzzle he had laid out on the board. Since then, ever subsequent move Edward had made had been matched.

'Look if it's bothering you that much hide a surveillance camera nearby,' Edward had suggested. 'This is nonsense with the chess board is bugging my whole team,' Jacob said. 'We're determined to catch this joker out.'

'What are we going to do with him what we catch him?' Edward enquired dryly. 'Charge him with challenging me to a game of chess?'

'It's more serious then you think.' The older man counted. 'That vestibule is in a private area right beside your office, yet someone is walking in and out of there whenever they like. It's dangerous breach of security. I checked the board this afternoon but couldn't tell if any of the pieces had been moved again.' 'Don't worry about it,' Edward told him gently. 'I will know immediately.'

Not least because he was playing a highly innovative opponent, ready to use a game to attract his attention. The culprit could only be an ambitious member of his executive staff, keen to impress him with his strategic skills.


End file.
